| What, you may ask, is a fascinator? Is it a device for | | | | material such as sinamay, buckram, jinsin, crinoline etc, |
| immobilizing cobras? Or a new must-have party | | | | plus feathers, flowers, beads and pendants, jewels or |
| gadget? Perhaps it's an attractive hot-house flower | | | | swarovski crystals. The design is up to you - a search |
| popular with bees? | | | | of the Internet will show you ideas you can copy for |
| In previous centuries, as women's hairstyles became | | | | yourself, or you can download instruction sheets to |
| more elaborate with hair often raised higher, headwear | | | | print. Don't forget to ensure the fascinator is wearable |
| began to decrease in size in contrast and hats | | | | before you get carried away with your imaginative |
| became smaller hair pieces, subtly adorned to match | | | | design - fascinators are not true hats so perch atop |
| the outfit. These were eventually to be known as | | | | your head rather than pulled down tightly over the |
| fascinators. | | | | crown. |
| A fascinator is a therefore a type of hat or hair | | | | Once you are happy with your new creation, you |
| accessory, a delicate alternative to a tiara. It consists | | | | need to show it off! So, when do you wear your new |
| of a small hat base or comb or similar hair fixing, | | | | fascinator hair accessory? Primarily intended to |
| decorated with colored feathers or flowers, or even | | | | complement formal attire, they are usually worn to |
| jewels. So how are they made? The choice of | | | | formal birthday parties, wedding anniversary parties, |
| materials is wide, but the basic tools are a hat base, | | | | cocktail parties, race meetings (such as Ascot) and |
| tiara band or comb, wire, pliers, tape measure, ribbon, | | | | weddings. Unlike hats, they are cooler to wear and |
| sewing needles, thread, glue, fabric stiffener and stiff | | | | less likely to flatten your hairdo! |